


The trust I put in our bond

by RaspberryDevil



Series: A bouquet of Zinnias [3]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Established Relationship, Family, M/M, Orphanage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-31 01:44:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8558344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaspberryDevil/pseuds/RaspberryDevil
Summary: Something seems to bother Sting, but Rogue can't tell what. While he suggested to help at the orphanage, Sting doesn't talk much with the children himself. But one the rare occasions he does, he is smiling, making the children believe in themselves and that they can achieve a lot if they work hard. // Rogue would never have thought that being friends with Minerva would lead to him and Sting considering a new step in their relationship.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was planning to write a Stingue story about them adopting a baby for ages now and already had a draft for this series, but never came around to finish it. Stingueweek gave me a reason to finally sit down and rewrite that I had to make it better. Also it did turn out a bit different from the whole adopting a baby thing and focuses more on the family thing but you'll see.
> 
> Setting: Takes place after the Avatar arc, but there are no story spoilers.

She is probably not older than six. Or eight. Maybe ten at top? Rogue had never been good with guessing ages, especially when it concerned children. Not because he hates them. Before he met Sting and was part of Sabertooth, he had stayed at orphanages and shared a room with children all ages. The younger ones were more open than adults, looking up to him even if he might have been older by just a month. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he is a dragonslayer. Somehow he doubts that this child will care much.

He usually doesn't mind either way about a random child running around their guild

(not anymore)

but it has Frosch in her arms and even though his Exceed doesn't seem bothered, happy actually, he is suspicious. To avoid scaring her, he crouches down to be on eye- level, smiling lightly, especially when Frosch greets him with a happy “Rogue”.

 

“Are you looking for someone?”

 

She shakes her head, her brown pigtails moving along the motion.

“Papa said I should wait here. Dad is at work so he had to take me with him.”

 

“And he left you here alone?”

 

“He said it's safe here. That there are friends. And friends are the most trust worthiest people after family.”

It suddenly hits Rogue, how much the guild changed. It had been obvious, especially since he had been by Sting's side for so long. But hearing from a small child which didn't experience what they had, makes it seem realer than ever.

 

“Ah... that's true.”

 

He wonders whether he should leave her alone or stay with her until the mentioned parent (who was probably talking to his team or declining a job to take care of his daughter) would show up. To his relief, someone decides for him.

“Oh? Are you playing babysitter, Rogue?”

“Lady Minerva?”

She looks amused, smiling at the child who in return seems to be in awe.

 

“She is the child of on of our guildmates”, Rogue eventually replies when he realises that she had asked him a question.

 

“I see. Then there is no need to stand around. Take a seat.”

 

The girl allows Minerva to move her along to a table where Yukino and another guildmate sit and Rogue knows he can leave her in safe hands. The topic would have ended for him here, but Minerva gestures him over.

“You're good with children, aren't you? I always thought you were this kind of person who doesn't know how to handle them.”

 

He is, kind of. To be honest, he isn't good at talking to people in general, but children are somehow easier to deal with than adults. Maybe they had yet so much to learn, were willing to expand their horizon to a certain degree, an innocence which was often ruined by adults; he tells her as much.

 

“Not easy, raising a child”, she agrees, a hint of sadness in her voice. But in the same second her expression shifts and she is smiling, mischief in her eyes present.

“We should do something together again, we haven't in a while. A mission.”

 

It's no suggestion. If she wanted to do anything, she would and it's something Rogue is glad for, that she doesn't use phrases just to be pleasant. And considering that she sets her mind on things, he assumes she already planned something.

 

“Anything special in mind?”

 

“Yes. Another infiltration one, I think you'd be suited. I mean, if you had some proper clothes.”

 

“I still have the garment from our last mission. Or the ones from the grand magic games?”

 

This however, doesn't seem to please here. She crosses her arms in front of her chest, looking him up and down.

“No, that doesn't suffice. What's with the clothes we bought for that mission once anyway? They can't be the only ones or don't you go shopping alone?”

 

“Not really.”

 

“What are you spending your money on then? A guilty pleasure? Food? Clothes?”

 

He doesn't feel like answering. She doesn't seem to mind, an amused smile on her lips – he doesn't understand the glint in her eyes until it's too late

 

* * *

 

A day later and three bags more, they are sitting in a small café, Minerva enjoying a parfait while Rogue feels drained; their lady used to say that she wasn't a fan of shopping and yet she clearly had fun to torment him.  Well, at least he does have some nice clothes now.

 

“You still didn't answer”, Minerva reminds him, “Do you have some secret amusement nobody knows about. Or do you and Sting have some secret hobby you –”

“Minerva!”, he breathes out between his teeth, a blush gracing his cheeks and hoping that nobody had heard.

She chuckles, throwing one leg over her knee and hands resting in her lap when she looks at him, eyebrow raised. 

“So?”

“Donation.” 

“Huh?”

This takes her by surprise, but even so he doesn't elaborate. Doesn't tell her how, before joining Sabertooth, he spend a lot of his time in orphanages. That a few get leftover food from the town they were located in or money from kind enough people, or that they work together with guilds. At least he intends to, but Minerva only needs a glance and he spills everything; he wonders if this was still a bit of an old habit, fear, or just what friends did.

 

“This is rather touching, I have to say. Oh, don't blush, I might think you are adorable. Does Sting know?”

It's weird, this curious side of her, and it will probably take him some more time to get used to it.

“No. He doesn't have to.”

“Well, if you say so...”

 

Again, Rogue should have known better than to believe that the smile meant nothing. He does suspect she is up to something, but hopes that it's just his imagination.

 

* * *

 

He is proven wrong when Sting makes a small speech the following day. He seems a bit embarrassed, but by now he is more confident talking in front of them than before, even with the older members present.

 

“Listen up. Minerva told me something. There is an orphanage in the town and she thought we could, like, cooperate. People who are old enough could work here and earn something and we could spend something if missions allow it?”

_Since a few of us don't really had a home as well_ , is the unspoken reason which hangs in the air. He seems confident, making eye contact with a few, but his hands are buried in his pockets, a gesture which seems to be part of a cool façade but shows Rogue that he just needs to hide his clammy hands.

 

“Well, it was not my idea”, Minerva corrects him, but when someone asks whose it was then, Rogue wonders out loud whether it really mattered and the question is pushed aside.

(Even though his interference is, for some people, answer enough.)

 

* * *

 

The orphanage is run by an old couple, rare for these days as Rogue learned. They are happy, taking care of the children as if they were their own flesh and blood, grateful for the guild's help. Things went surprisingly well. At first, most of their members hesitated, just giving a bit of their money, but when Minerva had taken one of the older ones on a mission with her – a theatre play – the other's started to move as well.

Rogue soon realises that he isn't the only one who bonds with this place, whose past had been influenced by them. But neither talks about it. He wonders how long it would take for them to heal before they could talk about their past without tearing up old wounds. Because even though a lot of them are involved, in the end nobody openly mentions anything.

Apart from Yukino.

Maybe this is it, Rogue thinks, a person who keeps them going and starts showing their feelings. She is the one who speaks with the couple, even drops honorific pretty soon because they insist; he wouldn't be surprised if they consider her their daughter by now. That's why – when they have troubles – Yukino considers them to be her own problems. They don't want to burden the guild with it though, but it's impossible to hide how worried they are when Yukino along with Rogue and Minerva show up one day.

“We got a little child this morning and we have no way to take care of it. It's been ages since we had someone this small. We always managed so far, but now...”, the old lady explains after Minerva asked for the reason behind their sad expressions.

The child is sleeping in a makeshift crib, but when the other's come, it opens its eyes and looks up at them, tiny arms outstretched. Yukino can't help herself, taking the little on in her arms, cooing slightly.

 

“Didn't give one of our member's birth to a little boy recently? Maybe she still has something for you. Children outgrow things fast”, Minerva suggests, looking at Rogue whose eyes are focused on the small bundle as if it was the most precious thing, not even registering the question

 

Just like she felt the impulse to take it, Yukino carefully hands the baby over to Rogue. He seems a little helpless with the newborn in his arms, grateful that the old lady shows him how to hold it properly. The child doesn't mind, gurgling softly as if it was telling him a tale.

 

“Does he have a name?”, he asks because it's the only thing he could think of.

 

“No, not yet. The letter attached to it said that the mother doesn't feel like she earned the right.”

 

“We will think of something. Seems as if he likes you, Rogue.”

 

The child is rather cute, Rogue can't deny.

“He smells like magic. He has potential.”

 

Other people would say it's a strange thing to mention, but Yukino just laughs lightly and suggest to teach them. They are a big guild after all, so there should be a few of them who knew how to teach. Maybe even Rufus could give them a few lessons, telling them about the various forms of magic he remembers. The old lady is amazed by her willingness too help and Rogue can't help thinking that she really wants to see these children happy. He smiles, nodding, while Minerva agrees to figure something out.

 

(Rogue catches the way Minerva looks at Yukino with so much fondness as well as love and he wonders whether he looks the same when he stars at Sting.)

 

* * *

 

It's her again.

“Papa said I have to apologise. For taking your cat without asking. He says I have to ask first because pets might bite strangers.”

Rogue had completely forgot about that, too busy with the other things happening at the moment; he feels a bit guilty.

 

“Frosch isn't a cat. And not a pet.”

 

“Fro is a friend”, the little Exceed says.

 

“Oh? Who's that?”

Sting curiously approaches them, Lector by his side which causes the girl's eyes to lit up.

 

“One of our guildmate's children”, Rogue explains, furrowing his brow because it's the same thing he said to Minerva and he still neither actually knew who her parent was nor her name.

 

“Is that so? Do you want to be part of this guild one day?”

 

“I don't know. Dad doesn't like it when I talk about magic, but Papa says when I want to learn he won't deny it.”

Sting looks like he thinks about it, a serious expression, more prominent than usual, probably to impress her, before he kneels down and whisper something to her. Rogue doesn't know what he tells the girl, but she seems convinced.

 

“Pinky promise?”, she asks.

Sting just grins, raising his hand.

“Pinky promise.”

 

Rogue smiles. Though he has to wonder since Sting was actually so good at dealing with children.

 

* * *

 

Something seems to bother Sting, but Rogue can't tell what.

While he suggested to help at the orphanage, Sting doesn't talk much with the children himself. But one the rare occasions he does, he is smiling, making the children believe in themselves and that they can achieve a lot if they work hard.

 

“Just talk to him”, Rogue mutters to himself, “ask him.”

 

“Ask who? Are you – whoa, careful”, Sting takes a step back to avoid the punch, eyes widen; sometimes he forgot that sneaking up on Rogue wasn't a really good idea.

 

“Sorry”, he apologises. 

 

“It's fine. So, something on your mind?”

Sting is smiling, curious instead of worried because he can see that the other one doesn't show any signs of unease; Rogue takes a deep breath – now or never.

 

“I would have liked to ask you this.”

 

“Why?”

 

“You've been absent for a while.”

 

Sting looks unsure, but eventually he realises that there is no use hiding anything. Rogue is his partner, his boyfriend, so they should be open with each other. 

“Okay... Can I ask you something and you answer truthfully?”

 

Rogue's first instinct is to ask if he would ever lie to him, but it probably would cause him to retreat, so he nods.

 

“Did you ever think about a family? I mean, having a child or two.”

 

Now that he hears the question, Rogue isn't sure what he should have expected. It's not that.

“Why are you asking me this?”

 

“You seemed to get attached to the little one... and I can't give you a family...”

The little one was the baby from the orphanage, a boy who grew healthier and stronger every day and was loved by the other's around him. Rogue wouldn't call himself attached to it, just curious and maybe a bit protective. 

 

“I never thought about this. Would you want to have children?”

 

“We can't, can we? Not a biological one at least.”

 

“Is this a problem with you? Adopting a child?”, Rogue wants to know, not really able to believe that they are having this talk but also not hesitating; it seems important to Sting.

 

“No, but I thought you –”

 

“Sting, I only had my mother and later on all the grannies. I would prefer adopting a child over getting an own one all the time.”

 

There is a short moment of silence in which Rogue waits and Sting sort his thought.

 

“So, should we?”, Sting timidly asks.

 

“What?”

Rogue seems like he forgot the purpose of their talk.

 

“Adopt a little boy. Or a girl? A little baby girl would be nice.”

 

“Now?”

 

“We don't have to right away... I mean we still have a few years, don't we? Kind of feel like a child myself.”

 

“Ah, you're right”, Rogue muses, a little teasing Sting hasn't paid attention to, wrapped up in his own thoughts and the feeling that he is advancing too fast.

 

“I mean, a lot of people get married before they think about a child. We could do that as well, I mean...”

He trails off, nervously picking at his pants to distract himself. It's such an unusual image, a nervous and stuttering Sting which reminds Rogue of the first time they kissed. While he hated the thought of seeing him helpless, Rogue doesn't mind seeing him this shy, almost submissive. He surprises himself, but his life is full of changes recently, so he decided on embracing them instead of running away.

 

“Sting Eucliffe, are you proposing to me?”

 

“Maybe?”

It's barely a whisper and the phrasing makes it sound like he isn't sure himself. Rogue hears it nevertheless and knowing Sting, he is embarrassed and not ashamed, fearing that he just think it's stupid. They are together since a year, but it's like they've been by each other's side since ages. And that's why Rogues doesn't hesitate.

 

“Okay.”

 

Sting's eyes widen.

 

“We don't have to right away. I mean we can wait two more years, in the meantime –”

 

“I'm okay with being your fiancé”, Rogue says to calm him down, reaching over to grasp his hand so that Sting doesn't hide it in his pocket again; he looks taken off guard, so when he glances at Rogue, his smile is tiny and the light blush isn't helping him to ignore his own beating heart.

 

“So... we're engaged?”, he carefully asks, just to make sure that he isn't imagine all of this, that Rogue really wants to stay with him, to promise it.

 

“Looks like it”, Rogue who can't stop smiling now replies, causing Sting to grin, a smile which reaches his eyes and makes him look so happy that Rogue feels the sudden urge to kiss him.

 

He doesn't, but that's only because Sting thinks the same and kisses him first. It's not as shy and careful as it used to be, yet full of the same gentleness and and love.

* * *

 

(“I'm going to buy you a ring”, Sting declares, while Rogue just laughs.)

 

* * *

 

It's past midnight but neither thinks about sleep. They are lying face to face under a blanket and just look at each other. Rogue always liked these moments, in which the world seemed to stop and it was just them. In which he wasn't forced to talk.

“You look happy”, Rogue says, his left hand covering Sting's right which is lying between them, the cold metal on his ring finger causing Sting to smile when he looks at it with a fond expression.

 

“I am.”

 

Rogue pulls his hand away, sitting up and leaning against the wall. Sting doesn't wait, moving over so that his head is resting in his lap, gentle fingers brushing trough blond hair. It's these times Sting enjoys as well. Being able to feel Rogue, to smell him and just being close to each other.

 

“Why?”

 

It's a whisper spoken into the silence, an answer which could take ages and yet never be satisfying enough. Because Sting liked talking but he wasn't good with words, even though he wished that he could express anything in a few sentences. Instead he is left with one thing, one reason which makes him so unbelievable happy and the mere imagination leaves him in awe.

 

“Because we're going to be a family one day. I mean, we already are, but –”, he takes a deep breath, searching for the words, how he might feel complete by Rogue's side but that there is one part missing. A simple piece and yet more than either of them can describe in one word. Thankfully Rogue understands him without finding the right words.

 

“Yeah, I know.”

 

He is smiling down at him, like he does so often these days. And Sting smiles back.

 

 


End file.
